By Idibia Gabriel, Kaduna
The dwindling of night life, social and business activities amongst the populace currently experiencing in Kaduna metropolis maybe counterproductive and dangerous. Indeed, nightlife, social and night business have its advantages in area of checkmating insecurity unconsciously.
Aside given rooms and more space for the thriving insurgence, the trends also deescalate business growths and development in the affected areas in terms of income generating and revenue derived from night life by the businessmen and owners who also pay their taxes.
Kaduna state metropolis known for twenty four hours sound nightlife, business and social activities is gradually scaling down on daily basis for fear of Bandits and terror attacks stories in town.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that some parts of Kaduna main town, where day breaks at 12:00am in time past now record little or no social activities anymore. In fact, from 9:00pm most major streets where night activities thrived are closed owing to what many have attributed to fear of Bandits attacks.
Areas worst hits include Barnawa, Sobon Tasha, Narayi, Gonin Gora, Romi, Maraban Rido, Mafuta, Yakowa Road, Kawo and Magajin Gari axis of the metropolis to mention but few. Night business owners and managers like Clubs, hotels and other social joints and centres in these areas are already facing severe challenges of hardship and how to settle utility bills and paying taxes.
Long before 2015, hardly people goes to sleep until daybreak in most of the aforementioned areas including Kaduna urban centres, especially the areas popularly known and addressed as “Obalende”, in Kaduna.
Although before the Boko Harram incidents, the All Progressive Party (APC) led El-rufai administration reportedly frowned at the nightlife and social activities in the some areas, sighting criminal activities associated with such nocturnal activities. Some hotels were demolished in the processes. The fear might however been overtaken as the state now witnesses more insecurity than ever before owning to the insurgence.
Indeed, the insecurity situation has worsened and became more deteriorated at the heat of Bandits and terrorists attacked in the state and Nigeria in general, couple with covid-19 pandemic invasion.
Findings however revealed that crimes and security challenges heightened and widened more in cities that goes to sleep too early as absent of nightlife, business and social activities signifies invitation for crimes. The bandits, it’s strongly believed, also fears of crowded areas and places, and thus strikes more in night in local government areas and community than cities whether in daytime or night.
Securities situation therefore not only worsened in the absent of nightlife and social activities but thrived as complete absence of it engendered crimes and social vices providing opportunity for Bandits to advanced it course of abduction by taken over towns and cities.
Our correspondent who monitor the situation in Kaduna metropolis reported that commercial and business activities have completely dwindled to almost near zero level with virtually no soul ventured outside their premises any moment from 9:30pm. And those seen beyond this hours are portrayed and viewed as rascal or even criminals.
Even where social activities were recorded in some Christian dominated areas like Kaduna South especially Barnawa, Sabon Tasha and few others, they’re not consistent and sustainable.
Night life such as clubbing, birthday parties, disco night and social joints also occurred in this areas but with limited time frame and with heavy self secured security protection for fear of insurgence with heavy pay package for government security operatives who take advantage of the situation to also exploit organizers.
Some of the victims mostly DJs and business owners who spoke to our correspondent in anonymity regretted putting their everything into nightlife business of hotels and tourism, clubbing, night joints amongst other social activities that thrives more in the night.